Elsa
The doctor shook his head, sympathy etched across his face. “It would only make things worse. If we sedate him now, his system will have to endure yet another round of withdrawal. He’s stretched thin as it is. He has to come through this on his own.”
I nodded, understanding but hating the necessity of it. Leaning closer, I murmured gently in his ear, “Lucas, I need you to lie down.”
He pulled away from me, blinking slowly, then shifted back onto the bed. I sat by him, my hand moving softly over his hair, each stroke meant to calm him. I stayed that way, sitting beside him, gently soothing him until his eyes grew heavy and he drifted into a fitful sleep.
As he lay there, vulnerable in a way I hadn’t seen before, I allowed myself a moment to remember the man he used to be—strong, f
